Breakdown of Al final del viaje, nos dimos un gran abrazo al ver que todo había salido bien, a pesar de los retrasos y los cambios de ruta.
grande
big
bien
well
nosotros
we
de
of
y
and
el viaje
the trip
la ruta
the route
haber
to have
a
at
el final
the end
todo
everything
salir
to turn out
el retraso
the delay
darse un abrazo
to give each other a hug
al ver que
upon seeing that
a pesar de
despite
el cambio
the change
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Questions & Answers about Al final del viaje, nos dimos un gran abrazo al ver que todo había salido bien, a pesar de los retrasos y los cambios de ruta.
What does Al final del viaje mean and how is al used here?
Al final del viaje means “at the end of the trip.” Here, al is the contraction of a + el, so al final literally translates as “at the end.”
Why does the sentence say nos dimos un gran abrazo and what does it mean?
The pronoun nos makes this a reciprocal action: dimos means “we gave,” so nos dimos un gran abrazo literally is “we gave ourselves a big hug,” i.e. “we hugged each other warmly.”
What role does al ver que play in this sentence and how would you translate it?
Here, al + infinitive (ver) expresses “upon” or “when.” So al ver que means “upon seeing that” or “when they saw that,” indicating that the hug happened at the moment they realized everything had turned out well.
Why is the pluperfect había salido bien used instead of the simple past salió bien?
The pluperfect (había salido) describes an action completed before another past action—here, the hug. They hugged when they discovered that everything had already turned out well, so the pluperfect shows that anteriority.
What does a pesar de mean, and why is it followed by los retrasos?
A pesar de means “despite” or “in spite of.” It’s a preposition that must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund. In this case, los retrasos (“the delays”) completes the phrase, indicating what challenges they faced.
What are retrasos and cambios de ruta, and are there synonyms in Spanish?
- retrasos = delays (in Latin America you can also say demoras).
- cambios de ruta = route changes (synonyms include desvíos or modificaciones de itinerario).
Both refer to interruptions or alterations in travel plans.
What does todo había salido bien mean, and why use todo with salir bien?
Todo había salido bien means “everything had turned out well.” In Spanish, todo stands alone as “everything,” and the verb salir bien literally means “to turn out well,” so together they express that the outcome was good.